1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to valve structures and refers more specifically to a rapid acting valve for release of fire retardant material from a container in the shortest possible time.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Most prior valve structures for release of fire retardant materials have not reacted rapidly enough to prevent damage to property and/or injury to personnel in response to temperature changes due to fire and the like. Where, in the past, valve structures have reacted rapidly, they have either been complicated and expensive to manufacture or have not been automatically actuated or have not included a manual operation alternative or have not been readily rechargeable and reuseable.
Further, valve structures of the past have often not provided adequate sealing for fire retardant material to be evacuated from a container to which the valve structure is secured, whereby pressure leaks have caused failure of the fire retardant to evacuate from the container at the desired time, or has unduly retarded the evacuation of the container.
Also, with valve structures of the past, wherein adequate sealing has been provided, mechanical biasing structures have often been used which retard the rapid operation of the valves and are therefore undesirable. Adequate sealing has additionally required close machining tolerances in the past, increasing the cost of prior valves.